10 Ways Twitter Could Be Harming Your Brand

It seems like every article about marketing today says that you should use as many social media platforms as possible to get the word out about your company and engage with your audience. However, depending on your audience and how you work with them, using some social media platforms could actually be hurting you.

I’m a huge Twitter fan and haveÂ become very successful at marketing both myself and my business on Twitter.Â Through over 9,000 tweets, I’ve learned a few things. Over the past year, I went from someone who liked Twitter, to someone who lives on Twitter. This has helped me realize what people are doing correctly and what people are doing incorrectly.

Some brands are making mistakes that are destroying their image online.Â Here are a few signs that it is not for you or your business:

1. You Rarely Tweet

Don’t have a social media account, if you are not going to use it. Your audience may actually discover you, and then wonder why you are not providing any information on your Twitter feed. Their conclusion may be that you are a non-functioning business, or that you are just not interested in engaging with them. If you can’t find someone to assist you with social media content development and tweet at least once a day, then Twitter is not for you.

2. Your Industry’sÂ Audience Doesn’t Follow or Care aboutÂ Twitter

Depending on the industry you’re in, some business segments have audiences that don’t even use Twitter. They may use another social media platform or prefer traditional media. It is up to you to understand where they are and how they want to receive information. If you’re part of a rare industry group that is not on Twitter, then you’re wasting your time by using it.

3. You Don’t Deliver Relevant Content for Your Audience

Your focus needs to be on helping your audience by giving them content that’s digestible and “tastes good,â€ so they come back for more. It should be related to what you do and offer relevant information, so they can make the connection that you’re the expert and they should buy from your company. It’s good to include industry news that also shows you’re up to date with industry trends. If you can’t do that, then don’t use Twitter.

Cynthia Johnson is the Director or Brand Development at American Addiction Centers, previously Managing Partner at RankLab (acquired by AAC Holdings, Inc. 2015)

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